China approves Savvy Games Group’s Moonton acquisition

• The transaction involves Saudi Electronic Games Holding Company, Moonton Holdings Limited and Shanghai Moonton Technology.
• ByteDance agreed to sell Moonton to Savvy in a deal reportedly valued at more than $6bn.
• Moonton was acquired by ByteDance in 2021 for approximately $4bn.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has approved Savvy Games Group’s acquisition of Moonton, bringing the proposed deal, valued at more than $6 billion, one step closer to completion.

The acquisition appears on SAMR’s list of mergers granted unconditional approval between October 26th and November 1st, 2026. The notice was published on November 6th.

The case listing names Saudi Electronic Games Holding Company, Moonton Holdings Limited and Shanghai Moonton Technology Co., Ltd. as the operators involved in the transaction. It also records October 29th as the date the review was completed.

Deal background

Savvy’s acquisition of Moonton was first reported in March 2026, when ByteDance agreed to offload the company to the Saudi gaming group in a deal valued at around $6bn. 

Moonton is best known as the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and its spin-offs, including Magic Chess: Go Go. ByteDance acquired the studio in 2021 for approximately $4bn as part of its push into the games market.

Earlier this year, Savvy's parent company, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), completed its $55bn acquisition of Electronic Arts alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. More recently, PIF and Silver Lake reportedly held talks to acquire game engine company Unity in a deal potentially valued at $25bn.